Shopping bag



Nov. 20

J. A. FLUELLEN SHOPPING BAG Filed Aug. 9, 1922 Iv f" N 54pm/11km Patented Nov. 2o, 1923.

l UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. FLUELLEN, 0F HARDY, KENTUCKY.

SHOPPING BAG.

Application filed August9, 1922. Serial No. 580,660.

useful Improvements in Shopping Bags, of

which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to improvements in shopping bags and more particularly to a shopping bag which is made of paper and yet is so constructed as to have the necessary strength to allow the bag to be filled and carried by the handles w ich are provided.

l The primary object of In invention is to provide a shopping bag ma e of paper which is dependable for service.

Another object of myl invention is to provide an article of the character described which is so constructed as to sit upon its lower end in upright position when articles are placed within it.

Another and further object of my'invention is to provide a shopping bag which has many novel features ofi construction not heretofore known in the art.

Another and further object of my invention is to provide a shoppin bag which is chea and simple of manu acture yet depen able and highly eicient in use.

Other further obJects, novel features, and improved results of my construction will appear in the following description and accompanyin drawings.

In the rawings Fi 1 is a perspective view of my improved s opping bag.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view.

Fi 3 is a fragmentary transverse sectiona view showing the construction of the bag bottom..

ig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view, shown vpartially in vertical section, of one corner of the bag showing the manner of constructing it.

Referring now to the drawings in which like parts are designated by similar reference numerals throughout the description, A represents my improved shopping bag which is constructed of two sheets of paper or fiber designated at 1 and2. v c

The4 sheet 1, which forms the outer side of the bag A, is longer than the sheet 2, which forms the inner side of the bag A, sheet l1 being provided at its ends with extending portions 3 which are adapted to be folded inwardly and downwardly, as clearly appears in the drawings and particularly in Fig. v4

thereof, over and upon the inner face or side of the bag 2 as clearly appears at 4.

The inner and outer sheets 1 and 2 of the bag are continuous from the top of the bag at one side to the top of the bag at the other side, extending the length of the bag on each side and being folded inwardly at the bottom of the bag as clearly appears at 5 to form, when the bottom is distended, a bellows effect as appears at 6 in Fig. 1 of the' drawings.

To seal'the vertical ed es of the bag A the sheets 1 and 2 of the ag are folded in` wardly as appears at 7 in Fig.4 of the drawings.` This step in the construction is completed of course before the sheets are folded inwardly at the bottom of the bag as has been previously described.

To strengthen the bottom have provided a piece of cloth 8 between its inner and outer sheets l and 2 the total distance of the inward fold of these sheets. To further strengthen the bottom of the bag but primarily to make this portion of the bag rigid I have provided two card-board of the bag I 4 or ber sheets 9 which are fastened in the.

their inwardly folded edges by a? suitable.

thread or cord 11. As clearly appears in the drawings this cord passes through boththe cloth insert and the card-board sheets in the bag bottom and terminates at the top edgel of the bag where it is passed through the inwardly and downwardly folded extending end portion 4 of the outer bag sheet 1.

To provide a handle with which to carry my bag I have provided. two cords 12 which are fastened to the edge vstitching and fastening cords -11 at point v13 in lany desired manner.

Attention is directed to the fact that the bag primarily consists of twosheets of paper andwidth of the bag. Attention is' also directed to the fact that the card-board or fiber sheets 9 are preferably inserted in such a manner that their ends 14 lie beneath the inwardly folded edges 7 of the bag sheets 1 and 2. By placing the members 9 in the bag in this manner the inwardly folded edges 7 of the bag assist 'in holding these members in proper position.

Although I have described the sheets 1 and 2 of the bag A as being composed of paper it will be readily understood that my improved constructionV could be made of cloth or other suitable light material susceptible to being folded without departing fromthe spirit of my invention.

Attention is directed to the fact that when the .bag is filled and sitting in an upright position as shown in the Fig. 1 of the drawings the bottom of the bag is bellowed into what is approximately an oval form the opposite ends of thc oval being at the points 15 at the opposite edges of the bag bottom where the cord 11 passes through the bag bottom and the. bag strengthening cloth 8 and stiffening sheets 9. It will be seen that in reality the points 15 form two pivotal points for the bag bottom whereby the opposite folds of the bottom are sprung oppositely away from one another to form the bellows or oval shape upon which the bag sits.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a bag which is constructed in such a manner as to eliminate to the minimum the waste of material during the construction of the bag and have provided a completed article which is novel and highly useful.

Attention is also directed to the fact that as'the material of which the bag is composed is flexible that the bag can be folded, when empty, to make it convenient to carry or to store away when not in use.

What I desire to procure and protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A- bag of the character described, formed of a. continuous piece of flexible material, the bottom of the .bag formed to make a lbellows by folding the material inf wardly at the bag bottom and the vertical edges of the bag sides and the vertical edges of the bellows portion stitched together, for the purpose described.

2. A bag of the character described, comprising two continuous pieces of flexible material, placed one upon the other to form the inner and outer sides of the bag, the material folded in a bellows fold intermediate its length to form the bag bottom, the vertical edges of the bag sides and the vertical edges of the bellows portion joined to seal the sides of the bag, and the ends of the material formin an open mouth for the bag top.

3. A ag of the character described, comprising two sheets of flexible material placed one upon the other to form the inner and outer ply of the bag, the vertical edges of the material folded inwardly, a bellows fold in the materials intermediate their ends to form the bag bottom, and the vertical edges of the bag sides and the vertical edges of the bellows portion stitched together, for the purpose described.

4, A bag of the character described, two sheets of flexible material placed one upon the other to form the inner and outer ply of the bag, the material folded in a bellows fold intermediate its ends Vto form the bag bottom, stiffening members carried by each of the inner sides of the bag adjacent its bottom, and the opposite sides of the bag and the bottom stiffening members fastened together adjacent their outer edges, for the purpose described. v

5. A bag of the character described, comprising two sheets of flexible material placed one upon the other to form a bag of double thickness, the material provided with a bellows fold intermediate its ends to form the bag bottom, a piece of cloth carried between the material within the bellows fold, and two separate flexible strengthening members carried upon one Side of each of the bag bottom folds.

6. A bag of the character described with an open top and a closed bottom, the bottomy folded upwardly between the bag sides, and means connecting the edges of the upwardly folded part, to the bag sides whereby when the bag is opened the bottom will assume an approximate oval shape.

7. A bag of the character described having an open top and a closed bottom, the bottom of the bag folded upwardly between the bag sides, means for rigidly connecting the outer ends of the upwardly folded portion to the bag sides, and transverse stiffening strips attached to the bag at its upwardly folded portions, for the purpose described.

8. A bag of the character described having an open top and a closed bottom, the bottom of the bag folded upwardly between the bag sides, means for rigidly connecting the outer ends of the upwardly folded portion to the bag sides, and transverse stitfening strips of a width corresponding to the upward fold, for the purpose described.

9. A bag of the character described having an open top and a closedbottom, the bottom of the bag folded upwardly between the bag sides, means for rigidly connecting the outer ends of the upwardly folded portion to the bag sides and stiffening strips between the upwardly folded portions and the outer sides of the bag, for the purpose described. l,

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

JOHN A. FLUELLEN 

